


Creative Comforts

by moimoi819



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)
Genre: Canon Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-20
Updated: 2019-02-26
Packaged: 2019-08-04 15:18:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16349177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moimoi819/pseuds/moimoi819
Summary: Her? A Pokémon Trainer? There was no way she could train a Pokémon! Going on a journey was something a lot of kids did. Some parents didn't want their children out on their own, but many didn't mind. Some even encouraged it! But a journey isn't for everyone. A journey can be dangerous, but once you have a Pokémon with you, you don't have to worry as much. But what about the kids who just aren't cut out for Pokémon training?Written for Lilith111





	1. Prologue

Green eyes stared through the transparent window on the front of an oven to observe the baking treats within. Quickly glancing at the clock on the oven while doing a mental countdown, Josephine chewed her fingernails worriedly. Once the clock read '1:45' in LED lights, she urgently started tugging on her mother's dress. "Mom! Look at the time! It's been twenty minutes. It's time to take the cookies out of the oven!" Josephine exclaimed.

"Okay. Okay, Josephine. Calm down," Marigold Phillips said while slipping on a pair of oven mitts. She was a woman of average height with a soft, soothing voice, red hair, and bright green eyes.

Baking with her mother was always a treat. Josephine loved the entire process- the mixing, molding, baking, and eventual eating. It always pleased her to try new recipes and create new things. This time, however, she was finding it a bit hard to fully enjoy the process.

Josephine watched anxiously as her mother bent at the hips and pulled open the door on the oven. The saccharine smell of chocolate chip cookies flooded her nose while the oven's warmth hit her face. "They don't look burned," Josephine said with a small breath of relief.

"See? There was no need to panic," Marigold said and rested the cookie sheet on the counter.

Josephine watched her mother go about placing the cookies on a cooking rack with an extremely watchful gaze. In a few more minutes, she'll find out if she did everything just right. This was the first time that her mother had let her bake the cookies by herself. What if they didn't come out right? What if she had used salt instead of sugar? What if she had forgotten something important?

"They should be fine now," Marigold said and plucked a cookie from the rack. Josephine held her breath as she watched her mother sample the first cookie. The next few seconds were absolute torture for the eight-year-old. "Mmm. Good job, sweetie! They're perfect."

Immediately, Josephine's round face lit up as she grinned brightly up at her mother. "Really? I didn't mix up the salt and sugar?"

Marigold chuckled lightly. "Nope. You did a wonderful job. I'm sure your friends would love to taste them, too."

Josephine skipped over to the cupboard to grab her favorite Poliwag lunchbox. There was the small worry that maybe her friends wouldn't like her treats. But that wouldn't happen. Right? Her mom had said that they were perfect. Josephine's hand hesitated on the last cookie, but she didn't get a chance to change her mind. Her mother was already placing the cookie in the lunchbox and popping on the cover. "Don't forget to knock and say good afternoon to Mrs. Ketchum and Professor Oak," Marigold reminded and handed Josephine the Poliwag lunchbox.

"Yes, mom. I'll remember," Josephine said and accepted the box. With slow movements, Josephine took the box and left the two-story home. She shut the door behind her, the slamming noise making her jump slightly. Professor Oak's lab was closer to her home than the Ketchum's. She would go there first.

Despite the nice weather, there weren't many people walking the roads today. The breeze blew refreshingly through the town while the bright sun warmed everything below it. A flock of Pidgey chirped loudly as they flew overhead towards Route 1. Brushing her red hair behind her ear, Josephine set off down the path towards the Professor's lab.

~:~

The door to the Professor's lab always felt a little intimidating. It was a large, automatic double door that would slide open with unpredictable timing. Josephine always approached cautiously with her eyes focused, but those doors never failed to startle her. This time, when the doors opened, there was someone else standing on the other side.

"Hmm? Oh, Josephine. I didn't see you there. How are you?" Professor Oak asked when he spotted the small girl standing slightly timidly before him.

"Good afternoon, Professor Oak. I'm okay. I just came to share some of the cookies I made with Gary," Josephine said and held up her lunch box or Professor Oak to see.

"Isn't that lovely? You're in luck. Gary is in the field with Ash. They're playing with the Pokémon out back. Why don't you go join them?" Professor Oak suggested. "I've got some errands to run, but I'll be back later. My assistant should keep an eye on you three."

Josephine watched Oak walk around her before going to mount his bike. While the doors were still open, Josephine quickly slipped inside and started working her way through the Professor's lab. She saw a few Pokémon being tended to by some assistants while others were hooked up to beeping machines. The Professor's lab always felt like the set of a really scientific movie. She had no idea what most of the things in here did, and she wasn't the slightest bit curious to try to find out. Pushing random buttons seemed more like something that Ash would do.

Upon stepping out into the open field, Josephine was met with the sounds of loud, childish laughter.

"Nice one, Ashy-boy!"

"Quit it, Gary!"

Gary was bent at the waist, tears gathering in his eyes and loud laughter peeling from his mouth. Ash looked to be tensely shaking, his clothes looking slightly singed. Josephine approached the pair slowly, a curious expression on her face.

"I guess your name suits you a whole lot better now," Gary said while looking down at Ash with a smirk that screamed superiority.

Ash's front was covered in soot, but his face still managed to show the bright red coloring of embarrassment and anger. "I mean it, Gary. Knock it off!"

Before she could make her presence known, Josephine felt Gary's eyes land on her. "Hey, Jojo. Get a load of Ashy-boy," Gary said and pointed at Ash.

"What happened, Ash?" Josephine asked in concern while eyeing Ash's dirty clothes, skin, and hair. His mom wasn't going to like this.

"What do ya think?" Gary started as if it were obvious. "He didn't know how to handle the Charmander that Gramps has at the lab and it attacked him."

"It was an accident! I was just playing with it," Ash shouted indignantly.

"Whatever you say, Ashy-boy," Gary taunted while leaning towards Ash with a wide smirk.

Sensing that Ash was close to his wit's end, Josephine quickly held up her lunch box for the boys to see. "What's that?" Gary asked, taking the bait.

"My mom let me try to bake some cookies by myself. I brought some to share," Josephine explained and popped the tin open.

"Wow. Thanks, Jo. They look yummy," Ash said as he stared down at the cookies. Just as Ash was about to take a cookie, Gary snatched up the cookie that he had had his eye on. Having been more than familiar with the argument that was brewing, Josephine was quick to place a different cookie in Ash's hand.

"These are pretty good, Jojo. You should make these more often," Gary commented.

"Yeah. They taste like the cookies you get at a bakery!" Ash exclaimed.

"Really?" Josephine asked in a hopeful voice.

"I'm surprised you can still taste with a mouth full of soot, Ash," Gary said while picking up another cookie.

"I'll show you soot, Gary!" Ash shouted before recklessly tackling Gary to the ground. Josephine made sure to take a few steps backwards as she clutched her lunchbox to her chest. She was tempted to get an adult to break the boys up, but then Ash would surely get in trouble. His mom wouldn't like hearing that twice in one week. Taking a deep breath, Josephine decided to wait it out, but promised to get an adult if it got too serious.

Luckily, Gary was able to put an end to Ash's outrage before anyone got hurt. With a loud "humph", Gary dusted off his shirt and fixed his tousled hair. Ash glared up at Gary from where he had been left on the grass. Gary was always getting the upper hand in their fights, but that never stopped Ash from trying to get the best of Gary.

"Come on, Jo. I'll show you how to handle Pokémon properly," Gary said. His words were directed at Josephine, but it was obvious that he couldn't help but get a final taunt thrown Ash's way. Gary turned his back to them while walking towards the underbrush where the Pokémon had run off to hide when the boys had started fighting. Not one to let things go, Ash childishly stuck his tongue out at Gary's back.

"It's okay, Ash. Some Pokémon just don't like playing. A Meowth scratched me once when I tried to feed it some Pokémon food," Josephine admitted as she helped Ash to his feet.

"Really? Did you make friends with it in the end?"

"Sorta. I had to wait for almost the entire day before it let me pet it. But it purred really loud when I did," Josephine admitted with a small smile.

"That's really cool, Josephine. You'd make a good Pokémon Trainer if you can get Pokémon to like you in less than a day!" Ash complimented with a bright grin.

"I'm not so sure about that. I don't think I'd be very good at training Pokémon. You and Gary would probably be better," Josephine said as she fiddled with the bracelet on her wrist. Her? A Pokémon Trainer? There was no way she could train a Pokémon! Pokémon Trainers were really good at battling and raising strong Pokémon. There was no way that she could do that. Josephine had had practice battles with Gary and Ash a couple times in the past with the Pokémon in the Professor's lab, but she had always done an average job. She could never beat Gary and beating Ash was a toss up. No Pokémon she raised could be strong enough to compete in the Pokémon League. Nope. There was no way she could be a Trainer. At the very least, not a good one anyways.


	2. Chapter 1

~Two Years Later~

Josephine stared down at the white letter that rested on her Pikachu bedspread. She squeezed a stuffed Squirtle doll to her chest and bit her lower lip in worry. The envelope was addressed to her with the address for the Kanto Pokémon League in the upper left corner. Her mother had happily given her the letter almost twenty minutes ago, but Josephine had yet to work up the courage to open it.

She really should open it. It held the results to her Trainer's Qualifying Test! Everyone young and old had to take an official examination before they were allowed to get a Trainer's License and raise Pokémon. Usually, potential Trainers took classes leading up to the exam before taking the standardized test. There was a two-week wait in between the test day and receiving the results. "You only need a seventy-five out of one hundred to pass. I couldn't have done too bad," Josephine reasoned and reached for the envelope.

Just as she was flipping the envelope over to open it, she heard her mother call up to her from downstairs. "Josephine! Ash and Gary are here!"

"I'm coming!" she shouted back while gripping the envelope in her hand. As she walked downstairs, she could hear Ash and Gary;s excited voices traveling throughout the house as they talked. 

"I bet I got a hundred!" Ash proclaimed.

"As if! The only way you could get a hundred is if they mixed your test results up with mine," Gary replied with a laugh.

"That's not a nice thing to say, Gary," Josephine admonished as she entered the living room. Both boys turned to her in surprise, but Ash quickly nodded in agreement. 

Gary shrugged once with a look of confident ease. "What can I say? The truth hurts," was his smart reply. 

"I'll show you hurt," Ash muttered darkly while glaring at Gary out of the corner of his brown eyes. "Let's open up the letters! I'll show you how good I did!" Ash shouted and started tearing into his letter. 

Josephine watched the boys rip into their letters as if they were competing to see who could read their results the fastest. With a bit more restraint, Josephine opened hers. 'Please. Just let me have passed!' 

"Ha! I got a perfect score! In your face, Ashy-boy," Gary taunted. "I guess I was always meant to be a Trainer." 

"What!? I got a seventy-five," Ash said with a pout.

"You barely made it. I guess you got lucky," Gary replied with a shrug.

"I passed!" Josephine exclaimed.

"What did you get?" Ash asked curiously while trying to peek at Josephine's test results.

"I got a ninety," Josephine replied with a sigh of relief. 

"Looks like you're the only slacker here, Ashy-boy," Gary teased with a smirk.

With flushed cheeks, Ash glared up at Gary. "Oh yeah!? Anyone can fill in some bubbles and guess the answers!"

"Obviously not you..." Gary muttered under his breath, but Josephine still heard him. She shot him a warning look that he shrugged off. 

"A real Trainer does their best out there! In the real world and in the Gyms! I don't need some dumb test to tell me that I'm gonna be a Pokemon Master. I already know it," Ash finished confidently.

Josephine and Gary exchanged a look. Gary rolled his eyes with a shrug while Josephine smiled patiently at Ash. It's nice to have big goals in mind and the confidence to pursue them. If there was one thing that Ash Ketchum was full of, it was confidence. 

"So, how did you kids do?" Marigold asked as she entered the living room with a look of excitement on her face.

"We all passed!" Josephine proclaimed with notes of relief and joy in her tone.

"Yep. We're all one step closer to becoming Pokémon Trainers," Gary declared.

"That sounds wonderful and exciting. Getting your first Pokémon and going on a journey are a rite of passage for kids your age. I'm sure you all can't wait," Marigold said.

Josephine's smile fell slightly. Going on a journey was something a lot of kids did. Some parents didn't want their children out on their own, but many didn't mind. Some even encouraged it! But a journey isn't for everyone. Just because your friends want to and both your parents went on one didn't mean that you had to... 

"You bet! I'm gonna get my Pokémon first and pretty soon I'll be winning badges left and right!" Ash exclaimed confidently.

"You're gonna need the head start," Gary said with a chuckle. Ash shot him a dirty look. "Ah relax, Ashy-boy. I'm just teasin' ya." 

Choosing not to respond to Gary, Ash faced Josephine instead. "So, which started Pokémon are you gonna choose, Jo?"

"I... I'm not a hundred percent sure," Josephine admitted. Professor Oak had said that any of the starters would be a good choice for a beginner Trainer.

"That's cool. Any one of the three would be awesome if you ask me," Ash said.

~:~

The next morning, Josephine awoke to the sound of light knocking on her door. She groggily rolled over in bed to shoot the door a questioning look. "Josephine? Are you awake?" Marigold asked through the door.

"I'm awake, mom," Josephine said with a wide yawn. While rubbing her eye while her fist, she sat up slowly in bed. Marigold cracked open the bedroom door before her eyes stared down at the sleepy Josephine. "Mom, the sun isn't even up all the way," Josephine pointed out and glanced out the window.

The sun had just started to peek over the horizon. A present chill was still present on the breeze from the night that was coming to an end. Some Pidgey were cooing together as the flew overhead. The early bird gets the worm for sure...

"I know, dear. Don't you want to start getting dressed? You don't want to be late to get your first Pokémon," Marigold said in a gentle voice.

It was then that Josephine noticed the items in her mother's hands. Her eyes widened as all traces of sleep quickly left her system. Her mother held a red messenger bag with a white Pokéball insignia on the flap, a pair of red shorts, a white tank top, white and red socks, red sneakers, and a small present. "Sweetie, I haven't heard you talking about your journey so I wasn't sure if you had packed properly for it. That's why I went ahead and got you a new bag and some new clothes."

Josephine felt her heart lurch before falling into the pit of her stomach. She swallowed thickly before looking down at her hands that were clasped tightly. A sudden breeze chilled her back and made her feel even colder. "Mom... I don't think I want to go on a journey..."

Her eyes were so trained on her nervous fingers, she didn't bother to look up when her mother came closer to sit on the foot of her bed. "Josephine, can you tell me why not?"

Josephine exhaled slowly. "I just don't think I'd be very good at it. I'd probably make a fool of myself and my Pokémon. Can't I just stay here in Pallet Town with you?" Josephine finished and looked up at her mother hopefully.

Marigold rested the clothes and bag on her lap before pursing her lips thoughtfully. "Won't you miss Ash and Gary? They're leaving for their journey today as well."

"I'll see them when they come back to visit!" Josephine pointed out.

Marigold hummed thoughtfully. "That is true... Sweetie, what if I told you that I want you to go?"

"You do? You don't want me around?" Josephine asked worriedly. That was crazy! Her mother loved her. There was no way that she suddenly wanted to kick her out because she didn't like Josephine anymore.

"I love having you around, sweetheart. It's just that I think going on a journey would be good for you."

"Good for me?" Josephine parroted. Lots of children leave for their journeys at ten. A journey can be dangerous, but once you have a Pokémon with you, you don't have to worry as much. But what about the kids who just aren't cut out for Pokémon training?

"Yes. Josephine, I think some time on the road will help you to grow out of your shell and become a little more confident," Marigold said while pulling a white ribbon out from in between the folded clothes. She leaned over to tie the ribbon around Josephine's head and keep her bright red hair back. "How about this? Give it a month," Marigold says while placing the clothes and bag on Josephine's lap.

"A whole month?"

"Yep. A month should be just enough time for you to determine how good of a Trainer you can be," Marigold explained and took her daughter's hand. She placed the nicely wrapped present in her hand with a bright smile.

"What's this?"

"Open it."

Josephine stared down at the present. It wasn't her birthday. Why was she getting a present? Pulling off the ribbon and tearing through the wrapping paper, Josephine examined the plain, brown box. Pulling off the top, her eyes widened at the bracelet inside. Taking it out of the box, Josephine took in every detail. It was a silver, charm bracelet that already held a few, silver charms. There was a paintbrush, a whisk, and a pencil.

"I want you to wear this bracelet while you're on your journey. If you ever feel anxious or nervous, just know that I'm right there with you holding your hand," Marigold said and clasped the bracelet on her daughter's wrist. "I'm rooting for you, baby."

Josephine looked down at the clothes and bracelet. Her fingers went up to the ribbon on her head and touched the fabric softly. "Only a month?" she asked.

"If you haven't improved, then you can come home," Marigold responded with a patient smile.

~:~

Josephine fiddled with the charms on her bracelet as she stepped into Professor Oak's lab. She walked through the quiet lab, her eyes seeing the various machines, book shelves, and desks in a new light. Professor Oak's lab felt intimidating this morning. Maybe it was because her first Pokémon was waiting in this lab. Which one would she choose?

"Hey, Jojo!"

Josephine's eyes widened in slight surprise when she heard someone call out to her. She looked up from where her eyes were trained on the floor to spot Gary leaning against the wall in front of her. Josephine had never said it out loud, but it seemed that out of her, Ash, and Gary, Gary was definitely the coolest. He had his arms folded as he carelessly leaned against the wall. "Uh... hey, Gary. Have you gotten your Pokémon yet?"

"Not yet. I got here early, but Gramps said to wait until 8 o' clock," Gary said and pointed to the clock on the wall.

Josephine read the time on the clock. '7:55' She looked around and spotted only one other child, a girl staring at the poster of the three starters. "Where's Ash? If he's late, he might not get a Pokémon," Josephine said and nibbled on her lower lip.

"It just goes to show that he's not really serious about being a Trainer," Gary said with a scoff.

"Of course he is, Gary. You know that. I wonder why he's taking so long..." Josephine trailed off while looking back at the entrance to the laboratory.

Suddenly, Professor Oak stepped down from the staircase at the corner of the room and appeared in the lobby. The three children gathered before him and stared up at him quietly. "Well, three out of four isn't so bad," Professor Oak said and rubbed his chin in thought. "Follow me, children. Your future partners are waiting upstairs."

"I know which one I'm gonna choose, Gramps! It's obviously the best choice," Gary boasted and clasped his hands behind his head. Josephine raised a brow at Gary. Weren't all the starters good choices?

Professor Oak led the children to the middle of the lab where the three starters were sitting on color-coordinated pillows with matching food bowls behind them. Josephine looked at each of the Pokémon with a slightly wary expression. Squirtle was smiling brightly, Bulbasaur had a small, patient grin, and the Charmander was facing the other way and glancing over its shoulder. 

"I don't need to waste any time, Gramps. I choose Squirtle," Gary proclaimed and kneeled in front of the Water type.

"Very well, Gary. Come over here so we can finish registering you," Professor Oak instructed.

Josephine walked a little closer to the remaining starters. She could hear the other girl thinking out loud about which Pokémon she wanted. Josephine watched the girl move in closer and reach out for both of the Pokémon at the same time. The Bulbasaur didn't flinch away, but the Charmander seemed uncomfortable at being touched. Josephine frowned. The girl didn't even look like she noticed.

"Have you decided which one you're going to choose, Jojo?" Gary asked once he returned with his Squirtle's Pokéball in his hand.

"I... I think so," Josephine said and opened her bag. She took out the tin of Pokémon food that her mother had packed for her and popped the top. Crouching down, Josephine took a kibble of food into her hand before extending her hand towards Charmander. "Charmander, are you hungry?"

"What makes you think that it's hungry?" Gary asked dubiously.

"Its food bowl is empty," Josephine pointed out. Gary paused before looking at the food bowls. They were all empty. He gained a surprised expression before looking down at Josephine. "Besides, it looks scared. You don't have to be afraid, Charmander."

Professor Oak stood back and observed quietly. It was true that this Charmander was a bit timider than the other starter Pokémon. Professor Oak rubbed his chin thoughtfully. For all his talents with Pokémon, not even Gary had noticed Charmander's wariness. Perhaps Josephine would surprise them all after all? Professor Oak watched as Charmander ate the food directly from Josephine's hand. Yes. It looked very likely.


	3. Chapter 2

Josephine stared down at the Pokéball in her hands with a slightly worried expression. She could hear the extra Pokéballs that Professor Oak had given her clacking against each other as they rolled around inside her bag. She was so focused on her staring match with the Pokéball that she didn't even feel Gary's gaze on the side of her face. After a few seconds, Gary raised a brow in silent question before pouting.

"So, Jojo... Which Gym are you gonna challenge first?" Gary said to break the silence.

"Gym?" Josephine replied with a surprised expression. "Uh, I'm not sure. To be honest, I don't even know what I'm supposed to be doing."

"What are you talking about? You're a Trainer now! You train your Pokémon to be the very best- the strongest there is!" Gary proclaimed. "Well... not the very best. My Pokémon will be the best, but you can have second best."

Josephine smiled softly. "Thanks, Gary."

Gary shot her a strange look. "For what?" he asked. Why was she thanking him? His words were far off from being a compliment. Ash would have already started shouting about how he was going to be the very best like no one ever was.

Josephine shrugged a little. "At this point, I'll even take second best."

Gary frowned. "Ash may be a loser, but he has faith in himself. If a loser like him could think that he'll be a good Trainer, then you definitely can. Just take it one step at a time. Okay?"

"You shouldn't call Ash a loser, Gary. But, I'll do that," Josephine responded and stopped once she had arrived at her house. Was she supposed to go home or should she head out on her journey now?

Gary watched Josephine stare at her house for a few seconds before shrugging and saying, "I'll smell ya later, Jojo. I've got to get started."

"O-okay, Gary. I'll see you around," Josephine said and raised a hand to wave goodbye. She watched Gary turn and leave with his hands in his pockets. Should she have told Gary that she only planned to be on a journey for a month? Josephine frowned. Probably not. Gary wouldn't have understood or agreed with the idea at all. She would just keep it to herself for now.

"Mom! I'm back with my Pokémon," Josephine called out as she entered her home. She spotted her mother washing some dishes in the kitchen and smiled.

Marigold was surprised to see her daughter standing before her. "That's great, sweetheart. Did I forget to pack something in your bag?"

Josephine frowned in confusion. "No. I don't think so. Why?"

"It's just that I wasn't expecting you to be home right now. I thought you would have headed straight out on your journey. I guess I shouldn't be surprised," Marigold answered with a soft smile. While drying her hands on her apron, she said, "So, show me which Pokémon you chose."

Josephine smiled and released her new Pokémon from his ball. Her new Charmander blinked as he took in his surroundings before staring up at the redheaded woman that was smiling softly down at him. "What do you think?" Josephine asked.

Marigold watched the small Pokémon pull its tail into its chest as it took a step backward. A pensive expression took over her face as she raised a finger to her chin in thought. When she saw Josephine softly rest a hand onto Charmander's head, her eyes widened slightly. The Fire type's eyes widened as he glanced up at Josephine before tugging on his tail a bit more and backing up into her legs. Marigold smiled and knelt down. "Hello, Charmander. There's no need to be afraid. I think you'll be an excellent Pokémon for my little Josephine," Marigold said and held a hand out and patiently waited for Charmander to make the next move.

"It's okay, Charmander. This is my mom. She won't hurt you. She's really nice and warm and smells like flowers," Josephine said pat Charmander's head again.

Marigold giggled lightly at her daughter's description of her and continued to wait for Charmander. When the Lizard Pokémon released his tail and took a hesitant step towards her, Marigold nodded her head reassuringly. Once he was near, Charmander placed his hand in Marigold's before allowing her to pet his head. Marigold was pleasantly surprised when he walked into her arms before fully embracing her.

"I knew he'd like you," Josephine said.

"I guess I just have a way with shy people and Pokémon," Marigold said with a laugh. "Well, thank you for stopping by, sweetheart. But you should be heading out soon. Remember, one month."

"I remember, mom," Josephine said before approaching Charmander. "What do you say, Charmander? We better head out."

~:~

Josephine walked along the dirt path while observing the forest around her. She had once explored the forest on Route 1 with Ash and Gary when she was younger, but they'd gotten chased out by a flock of angry Spearow. Now, she could see a few Rattata watching her from the underbrush and some Pidgey nesting in the trees. "It kind of quiet," Josephine said to herself before taking out the Pokéball that held her starter. After a few seconds, she let Charmander out and smiled softly down at him. "I hope you don't mind too much, Charmander. It was just really quiet and a little lonely so I wanted to let you out, so you could keep me company."

"Char?" Charmander questioned as his head tilted to the side.

"We're supposed to go on a journey together. But...," Josephine started and crouched down to be at eye level with Charmander. She stared the lizard in the eye for a few seconds before averting her gaze bashfully and admitting, "I don't really want to go on a journey. I don't think I'll be a very good Trainer. Trainers are supposed to be brave and strong. But I'm nothing like that and I don't know the first thing about being a Trainer."

"Char?" Charmander spoke up before reaching out for Josephine's bag and starting to search through it.

"Charmander? What are you doing?"

"Charmander! Char!" Charmander exclaimed and pulled Josephine's new Pokédex from her bag. Josephine watched Charmander offer the device to her with an enthusiastic smile.

Suddenly remembering what Professor Oak had told her about the Pokédex, Josephine blushed and groaned loudly. Josephine took the red device and opened it, powering it on for the first time. "The Pokédex has all the information I need about Pokémon and training them. I can't believe I forgot that already. At least you were paying attention, Charmander."

"Hello. I'm Dexter, a Pokédex programmed by Professor Oak for Pokémon Trainer Josephine Phillips of the Pallett Town. My function is to provide Josephine with information and advice regarding Pokémon and their training. If lost or stolen, I cannot be replaced," the Pokédex said in an automated voice.

"Okay. Dexter, I just started my journey. What should I do first?" Josephine asked.

"Pokémon Trainers catch, train, care for, and battle with Pokémon. Beginner Trainers usually take the Pokémon League Challenge where they collect Gym Badges and compete in the Pokémon League."

Gary had said something about Gym Badges before he had left. Gym Leaders were super strong, though. "Okay. I guess the first thing we should do is try catching a Pokémon. Pokémon Gyms have rules that require more than one Pokémon to challenge the Gym. Which one should we try to catch?" Josephine asked Charmander. Charmander shrugged in response.

As if receiving a sign from Arceus itself, Josephine and Charmander noticed a small bird suddenly fly down from its perch and land on the path ahead. "It's a Pidgey," Josephine said while putting away her Pokédex and standing. "Okay. Let's give this a shot. What do you say, Charmander?"

Charmander stared at the Pidgey for a few beats before nodding in acceptance and facing his opponent. He'd never been in a battle before. He'd heard from other Pokémon that battling hurt more than anything, but it was the best way to get stronger. This Pidgey didn't look too tough. Maybe this would turn out okay? Plus, he had his Trainer, Josephine. Even though she didn't seem to confident, having a Trainer help you in a battle had to be better than fighting alone.

"Okay. The Pokédex says that you know the moves Scratch and Ember. So, let's start with an Ember attack," Josephine commanded.

Charmander inhaled deeply, letting the rush of oxygen stoke the fire inside him. He exhaled just as deeply to allow the small flames and balls of fire to fly towards the Pidgey. At the last second, the Tiny Bird Pokémon shot up into the air to dodge the attack. Charmander stared up at his opponent in surprise. Crying out loudly, the Pidgey whipped up a vicious Gust that had both Charmander and Josephine shielding their eyes.

"Charmander, use Scratch!"

Charmander took a few slow steps forward, but the powerful winds had him sliding backward. Trying to hold his ground, Charmander got on all fours and sunk his short claws into the dirt. When the winds suddenly stopped, Charmander peeked upwards just in time to see the Pidgey zooming towards him. "Char!" he exclaimed in shock as his eyes widened fearfully.

"Charmander! You have to dodge the attack!" Josephine shouted. As soon as she finished shouting, Pidgey collided with Charmander in a full-body Tackle that sent Charmander flying backward and somersaulting away. Josephine's jaw dropped in shock. She watched the Pidgey turn up its beak before flying away. With a deep frown, Josephine ran to Charmander's side.

"Char..." Charmander moaned with a frown as he rubbed his head.

"Are you alright, Charmander? You're not too hurt?" Josephine asked while examining her Pokémon for injuries. With a sad moan, Charmander shook it head in the negative. Josephine smiled encouragingly. "Hey, don't feel so bad. It was just the first try. I think you did pretty great for a first try. If anything, it's my fault for freezing up a little. You'll do great next time."

Charmander smiled softly in response.


	4. Chapter 4

“I registered for the Pokémon League too,” Josephine said into the receiver of the phone that she held against her face.

“That’s good. So, where are you heading next?” Marigold said as she smiled at her daughter over the videophone.

“Nurse Joy told me that I have to get eight Gym badges. She said that some Gyms are tougher than others and the Pokémon League even has a list of all their Gyms where each Gym is ranked by its difficulty,” Josephine said and raised the pamphlet that Nurse Joy had given her so that her mother could see it. “Gyms like the Pewter or Cerulean Gyms are easiest for beginner Trainers, so they have one star out of five and tough Gyms like the Viridian Gym has five stars.”

“Well in that case, I would suggest you try your hand at the Pewter or Cerulean Gym,” Marigold suggested.

Josephine hesitated. “That would be smart, but the Pewter Gym is a Rock type Gym and the Cerulean Gym is a Water type Gym. A Fire type like Charmander would be at a disadvantage,” Josephine explained.

“Maybe you could catch a new Pokémon then?”

Josephine rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. “Uh...sure. I’ll try. How hard can that be?” Josephine replied with a shrug.

~:~

The Pewter Gym didn’t look too impressive from the outside. A walkway lined with small boulders led the way to the entrance. A metal frame surrounded the large piles of boulders that were the Pewter Gym. “It is a Rock type Gym,” Josephine reasoned to herself as she walked towards the doors. Idly, it made her wonder what an Electric type or a Psychic type Gym looked like.

Pushing the doors to the Gym open, Josephine squinted at the darkness inside. Maybe no one was here? “Hello?” she called out while standing in the entrance.

Suddenly, a light at the back of the room turned on to illuminate the figure of an older boy sitting cross-legged on a stone slab. His face was tan and stern, and his eyes seemed to be peering into her very soul. Nervously, Josephine shifted from foot to foot.

“Have you come for a Gym battle?” the boy asked.

“Y-yes. I have. My name’s Josephine,” Josephine said as she played with her bracelet.

“You may call me Brock and I’m the Pewter City Gym Leader. Welcome to the Pewter City Gym,” Brock said as he stood up from the stone slab. Once standing, he snapped his fingers once to signal for the lights in the Gym to turn on. “Is this your first Gym battle challenge?”

“Yes, it is. Is that okay?” Josephine asked as she entered the challenger’s box and opposed Brock.

“It’s fine. I’ll just have to explain the rules to you,” Brock said and held up a Pokéball. “We’ll battle using two Pokémon each. Furthermore, only the challenger can substitute Pokémon.”

“I only have one Pokémon though,” Josephine said with a frown.

Brock stared silently from across the field before folding his arms over his chest. “Rules are rules. If you want to challenge this Gym for a badge, you’ll need two Pokémon.”

“I get it. I tried catching a Pokémon on Route 1, but it was harder than I thought it’d be,” Josephine explained.

Brock nodded once in acceptance before tossing his Pokéball and releasing his Pokémon. Josephine stared in surprise as a small, rock Pokémon stared her down. Taking out her Pokédex, Josephine scanned the familiar Pokémon for new information.

_Geodude, the Rock Pokémon. Geodude has incredibly high defensive power, making it virtually resistant to any physical attacks. Geodude is often found on mountain roads with half of its body buried in the ground so it can observe mountain travelers._

“I won’t have an official battle with you. But I’ll let you battle my Geodude to prove your worth as a Trainer. It won’t be easy, however. My Geodude’s no pushover,” Brock explained and his Geodude responded with a loud shout and flex of its rocky muscles.

Josephine tucked her Pokédex away as she nibbled on her lip. Taking out Charmander’s Pokéball, Josephine gazed down at the red and white sphere. Prove her worth? She’d taken the exams and done well enough. She was officially registered as a Trainer. But was she really Trainer material?

“I guess this is my chance to find out,” she spoke softly to herself. “Charmander, I choose you!”

“A Charmander, huh? So not only did you come with a single Pokémon, but it’s a Pokémon with a type disadvantage,” Brock spoke. Josephine felt her cheeks warm in embarrassment as she fingered her bracelet. “Geodude! Use Tackle!”

“Dodge it, Charmander!” Josephine shouted with a stunned expression. Brock’s Geodude was so much faster than any Pokémon she had faced so far! Josephine watched as Charmander attempted to dodge but was still clipped on the side and sent sprawling out on the field. Was this the strength of a Gym Leader? “You have to get up, Charmander! Get up and use Ember!”

“Tackle it again, Geodude!”

Charmander had managed to push himself up onto his hands and knees and shake his head out when he felt Geodude collide roughly into his side yet again. “Char!” Charmander cried out as he rolled away on the hard ground.

“You haven’t trained your Charmander very well. Have you?” Brock asked rhetorically from across the field.

Josephine’s eyes widened in surprise. Was it really that easy to tell? Crouching down, Josephine stared sympathetically at Charmander. “Charmander, can you continue?”

“Char,” Charmander responded while shakily pushing himself up onto his feet.

“Okay. Then try an Ember attack,” Josephine commanded. Charmander really wasn’t the best Pokémon to use in this battle. Brock’s Geodude was a Rock and Ground type. Fire type moves weren’t very effective and physical attacks wouldn’t do much damage either. Josephine watched as the small flames danced over Geodude’s body with a frown. She was right. It really wasn’t doing much. Maybe it would be better to stop the battle before Charmander really got hurt?

“Geodude, use Seismic Toss!”

“Geo-dude!” Geodude exclaimed and grabbed Charmander by his arm and tail. Charmander cried out loud but couldn’t fight off Geodude’s hold and a quick spin. When Charmander was sent flying, Josephine had barely registered that her feet were already moving. It wasn’t until Charmander was right in front of her that Josephine registered that she had physically put herself in between Charmander and the wall he had been tossed into.

Brock’s brows raised slightly in genuine surprise as he watched the challenger- Josephine? -use her own body as a shield for her Pokémon’s. When this match had started, Brock had already predicted that it would go in his favor. So far, he’d been unsurprised and almost bored with the battle. But now…

Recalling Geodude into its ball, Brock approached Josephine and watched as she fretted over her Pokémon’s wellbeing. Once he had gotten near the pair, they stopped to watch him warily. Crouching down before them, Brock took out a Potion that he kept in his jacket pocket. As he treated Charmander’s wounds, he spoke softly, “Your Charmander needs more training before you challenge any more Gyms. But it’s obvious to me that you care a lot about your Pokémon even though you just got it.”

“I…Well… You’re right. We haven’t been together for long. But Charmander is my friend,” Josephine explained.

“Char!” Charmander exclaimed before turning to tackle Josephine in a tight hug.

Brock watched as Josephine returned the hug while subtly dusting away dirt and grime from Charmander’s body. She even made sure to stay away from any open wounds. With a mental nod, Brock stood up and said, “Make sure that you get Charmander to the Pokémon Center. When you’re ready to challenge me again, I’ll be waiting.”

~:~

Josephine slowly paced back and forth as she chewed on her thumbnail with furrowed brows. Charmander’s gaze moved left to right as he tracked her movements with a confused stare. Josephine had brought him out to the forest early in the morning after he’d gotten out of the hospital with more determination than he’d ever seen on her face. But now that they were out here…

“Char?” Charmander questioned and tilted his head to the side.

“Hold on, Charmander,” Josephine instructed and pulled out a book from her messenger bag. “I got this book from a bookstore while Nurse Joy was looking you over. I don’t know the first thing about being a Trainer and this book should help.”

Charmander stared at the bright yellow book in Josephine’s hand with a curious expression. The book was full of little sticky notes and bookmarks and had a few pages bent. He watched as Josephine flipped through the book before stopping on a page and reading aloud.

“Most Trainers catch and train a variety of Pokémon. However, some may choose to specialize in one type of Pokémon. Additionally, Trainers develop battle styles that reflect their Pokémon team, personalities, and interests,” Josephine said before closing the book. “I need your help Charmander. We need to add other Pokémon to our team and come up with a battle style that can beat Brock.”

“Char?” Charmander asked as he tilted his head to the side and scratched it pensively.

Josephine frowned down at the cover of the book. How did other Trainers figure this stuff out? If she were Gary, she’d probably already have three Pokémon and her battle style figured out. Even Ash would farther along than her… Josephine fingered her bracelet anxiously. How was she supposed to figure this all out?

“Char?” Charmander questioned as he played with the charms on her charm bracelet.

Snapping out of her reverie, Josephine glanced down at her bracelet. “My mom gave this to me before I started my journey. She put some charms on it for all the things I like to do, like painting and sketching. It helps me calm down sometimes to draw things,” Josephine explained.

“Char! Char!” Charmander exclaimed before picking up a stick from the ground and proceeding to drag it around in the dirt. Josephine tilted her head this way and that to try to see what Charmander was drawing. It kind of looked like her, a crude and almost childlike drawing, but at least she could tell what it was.

“You’ve got some talent, Charmander. I like it. Maybe we can find another Pokémon with some creativity,” Josephine suggested with a giggle.

~:~

Josephine held her breath as she crouched low in the bushes with Charmander sitting next to her. They both had their eyes focused on the unfamiliar Pokémon that was currently drinking water out of a small puddle. As quietly as possible, Josephine took out her Pokédex and scanned the Pokémon while simultaneously lowering the volume.

“ _Region specific Pokémon detected. National Dex activated_ ,” the Pokédex whispered. Josephine raised a brow as she watched her Pokédex switch settings on its own. “ _Budew, the Bud Pokémon. In winter, it keeps its bud closed to survive the cold, but then opens it again in the spring_.”

According to her Pokédex, it was a Grass type so Charmander should have the advantage. “Charmander, use Ember,” Josephine commanded. Charmander nodded once before leaping out of the bush and breathing a steady stream of fire directly at the small, green Pokémon. The Budew jumped up in surprise with a shout before being hit in the face with Charmander’s Ember.

The Budew slowly picked itself up before quickly looking around it with a panicked expression. When it made eye contact with Charmander, it jumped and screamed again before opening the bud at the top of and releasing a cloud of amber dust at Charmander.

“That’s Stun Spore!” Josephine recognized. “Dodge it and use Ember again Charmander!”

“Char!” Charmander cried out and quickly ran around Budew to avoid its attack and breathed another blast of fire at Budew.

Once again, Budew was sent rolling away by Charmander’s attack and it struggled even more to rise to its feet this time. Josephine took out an empty Pokéball from her bag and tossed it at the weakened Pokémon. Both Josephine and Charmander waited with bated breath as the watched the Pokéball twitch once, twice, thrice before it clicked loudly.

Josephine’s eyes widened as her jaw dropped slightly. She’d…done it? She caught her first Pokémon. In a daze, Josephine walked over to the Pokéball and picked it up before staring at it in shock. She glanced back at Charmander, who was watching her curiously. “We did it, Charmander. We caught a Pokémon,” Josephine said.

“Char!” Charmander exclaimed with a wide grin before running over to her.

A bright grin slowly started to spread over her features as she sunk to the floor. Charmander tackled her in an enthusiastic hug and Josephine rubbed his head as a happy laugh bubbled out of her. “We did it! You were so amazing, Charmander. Your Ember was so strong, and you were so fast when you dodged that Stun Spore,” Josephine praised. “What do you say we meet our new friend?”

~:~

Brock watched with a narrowed gaze and his arms folded over his chest. He really should be at the Gym just in case any challengers show up, but things had been pretty slow lately. Besides, it was much more interesting to watch this than sit at the Gym and wait for challengers to show up.

“We did it, Charmander. We caught a Pokémon,” Josephine said.

Brock smirked. He’d been observing Josephine’s progress for the past few days after she’d challenged him. As a Trainer, she didn’t seem to have much going for her in the way of strength and power. But she did show kindness and care for her Pokémon.

“Come on out, Budew.”

Brock watched as Josephine released her new Pokémon from its ball. The freshly caught Pokémon stared up at Josephine with a wide, nervous gaze. It even looked to be trembling slightly. Brock frowned. It was obvious uneasy in Josephine’s presence. Was it afraid of her or people in general?

“It’s okay, Budew. My name is Josephine, and this is Charmander. I’m sorry if we scared you. We were hoping you would join our team and we could all be friends,” Josephine said and offered her hand towards the Grass Pokémon.

Brock watched as silence reigned over the clearing. Budew gazed at Josephine for a few seconds before glancing at Charmander and down at the outstretched hand. When it hesitantly clasped the vines from the bud on its head around her hand, Josephine smiled brightly down at Budew. She moved slowly and purposefully to take Budew into her arms and rest it on her lap.

“I hope we can become great friends, Budew.”

Brock smirked before turning to leave.

~:~

“Thank you, Brock,” Suzie said as she watched her doting, big brother fix the rip in her dress.

“Of course, Suzie. Just try not to rip your dress again,” Brock replied, despite knowing that it would do nothing. There seemed to be a cosmic force at work that dictated that Suzie must rip her dress at least once a week. Brock was on the last stitch of Suzie’s dress when Forrest came into the room with a serious expression on his face.

“Brock! There’s a challenger waiting in the Gym for you,” Forrest said.

“Alright, Forrest. I’ll be right there,” Brock said and finished off Suzie’s dress. Standing and taking off his apron, Brock started mentally preparing himself for the upcoming battle. The transition from caretaker Brock to Gym Leader Brock and back was slightly draining on the fifteen-year-old. He could feel Forrest’s penetrating gaze on his back as he walked, but Brock didn’t acknowledge it. Forrest had been subtly hinting at helping out at the Gym more, but Brock was hesitant to let his little brother take over without sufficient experience. Rightfully, it should be their father, Flint, who ran the Gym but…

Pushing those thoughts from his head, Brock stepped out onto the field to face his challenger. When he spotted Josephine standing in the challenger’s box, he raised a brow. “Have you trained enough for a rematch?” he asked her.

“I’m ready to try again. I don’t know if I’ll win. But I won’t know if I don’t try,” she replied.

“Fine. We’ll have an official, two-on-two Pokémon battle. Only the challenger will be allowed Pokémon substitutions. The battle will be over when both Pokémon on one side are no longer able to continue,” Brock said and took out a Pokéball. “Geodude!”

“Charmander, I choose you!”

“So... Charmander again? Fine. Show me the results of your training. Geodude, use Tackle!”

“Dodge it, Charmander and use Ember!”

Brock observed Charmander’s movements on the field. It was faster than last time. It looked like the timing between Charmander and Josephine had improved. The size and intensity of Charmander’s Ember had increased as well. After only a few days of training, their teamwork had improved remarkedly.

“Seismic Toss, Geodude!” Brock commanded.

“Scratch and dodge, Charmander!” Josephine commanded. Brock watched as Charmander waited until Geodude got close enough to launch a counter-attack before slipping away and dodging behind a boulder. “Now, use Ember!”

The Scratch attack hadn’t done much damage, but it had given Charmander enough time to escape. Brock watched as Charmander used the boulder as leverage to launch an attack from above before slipping away and ducking behind another boulder. “I see. So that’s your strategy. You’re using the field as a defense while you launch your attacks,” Brock commented with a smirk.

“Charmander wouldn’t have much of a chance against your Geodude in a head to head battle. So, we had to come up with another way to beat you,” Josephine explained.

“It was a nice idea. But it’ll take more than that if you want to beat my Geodude. Geodude, use Tackle on the boulder on your left!”

“Geodude!” Geodude shouted before slamming its body into the boulder just as Charmander jumped out of the way. While mid-air, Charmander spun once and used its tail to bat a loose rock shard back towards Geodude.

“Ember, Charmander!”

They were persistent. He couldn’t explain it, but something had changed between this battle and the last. Brock could still see the slight hesitance in Josephine’s eyes and actions, but she didn’t look to be ready to give up just yet. And their persistence was paying off. Geodude was starting to look worn out, but he’d barely moved. Meanwhile, Charmander had been running all over the field and still looked relatively fine.

“One more Tackle attack, Geodude!”

“Geo! Geodude!” Geodude exclaimed and threw itself at Charmander.

Charmander readied itself while keeping his gaze trained on Geodude. Just when Brock thought that maybe they’d had a change in strategy and were about to fight him head on, Josephine called out, “ _Now,_ Charmander! Use Ember!”

Charmander leaped into the air at the last second and let Geodude collide with another boulder on the field before firing an Ember at Geodude’s back. Brock watched silently as Charmander landed a few feet away and panted softly. As the flames died away, Brock observed Geodude’s unconscious form. With a soft hum, he recalled his Pokémon. “You defeated my Geodude. I’m almost impressed. Onix, go!”

Giving his Pokéball a toss, Brock watched as his Onix appeared with a flash before roaring loudly. He could see Josephine’s eyes widened as she took out her Pokédex.

_Onix, the Rock Snake Pokémon. It tunnels through the ground which shakes when it raises its thunderous roar. By twisting its large and powerful body, Onix can quickly bore through the ground at fifty miles per hour._

“If you want a Badge from me, you’ll have to defeat my Onix,” Brock said.

~:~

Onix was so much bigger in real life compared to how it looked on TV. Its body was taking up most of the field and one boulder was bigger than she was! With Onix’s body taking up so much space, there was no way that their strategy would work now. They would have to fight head on.

“Char?” Charmander questioned Josephine when he didn’t hear her give him a command. When he looked at her, she was staring up at Onix with worry in her eyes and her finger hooked in her bracelet. “Char? Charmander!”

Suddenly, Josephine snapped out of her musing and turned to Charmander. He was waving his arm in the air frantically and calling out to her. When she looked down at her hands, she realized what he was trying to tell her. “I’m sorry, Charmander. I guess I got a little nervous. Why don’t you come back for now?”

“Char?” Charmander questioned and tilted his head to the side. When Josephine nodded at him, he quickly ran over to her to stand next to her in the challenger’s box.

“Alright. Budew, I choose you!” Josephine exclaimed and tossed the Pokéball containing her newest Pokémon.

When she appeared from her ball, Budew wasn’t sure what to expect. But the sight of the giant, Rock Pokémon before her was enough to send her into a panic. “Dew! Budew!” she shouted before turning and running back towards Josephine.

“Oh, Budew,” Josephine said as she knelt to take the frightened Budew into her arms. Josephine ran her hand along Budew’s back while speaking softly to her, “It’s okay, Budew. I know that it’s scary, but you don’t need to worry. I’ll be right here. I’m behind you all the way.”

“Budew?” Budew asked and gazed up at Josephine in question.

“Charmander used to be scared too. But he knows that he can count on me to be there for him, so he’s not so scared anymore. I want you to rely on me too. Okay?” Josephine soothed.

“Dew. Budew,” Budew said softly and turned and faced Onix.

“Right behind you,” Josephine whispered once more and stood.

“Budew!” Budew said and stepped forward.

“Are you ready now?” Brock asked.

“Sure. I think we’ll be alright,” Josephine responded.

“Good. Onix, use Tackle!”

“Dodge it, Budew!” Josephine commanded. With a startled cry, Budew quickly ran away from Onix’s incoming head and hid behind a boulder. “I’m still here, Budew!” Josephine reminded when she saw Budew shaking behind the boulder. Budew stared at Josephine for a few seconds, her shaking slowly to a stop.

“Bind it, Onix,” Brock said.

From where Budew was hiding behind the boulder, she watched as Onix’s tail coiled around her and the boulder before squeezing. “Dew! Dew!” she shouted in fright and pain. The boulder lasted mere seconds against the force of Onix’s tail and left Budew to take the full force of the attack.

“Budew, relax and use Stun Spore!” Josephine commanded. Budew cracked an eye open to peer up at Onix’s glaring face. Opening up the bud on her head, Budew shot a thick cloud of amber dust directly at Onix’s face. The second the attack hit, Onix cried out in pain before writhing wildly. Its tail loosened and allowed Budew to fall to the field with a thud.

“Oh no! Onix!” Brock exclaimed.

“Great work, Budew! Now use Absorb!”

“Budew!” Budew cried out and shot a red beam of energy from her bud at the rock snake. Onix’s entire body was encased in a red glow from the attack that caused it to roar loudly. The scrapes and bruises on Budew’s form healed the more she sucked the life force out of the weakened Onix. Once she was fully healed, Budew ceased her attack and bounced in place with a bright smile. “Budew!”

Brock stared up at his Onix in shock. Onix groaned lowly before falling backward and crashing onto the field. Brock shielded his face from the scattering dust and debris before gaping at the sight of his Onix laying on the field unconsciously.

“Budew! You did it!” Josephine exclaimed excitedly.

“Budew! Dew!” Budew shouted before running into Josephine’s open arms.

Brock stared at his Onix for a few more seconds before recalling it with a soft hum. Taking a Boulder Badge from his pocket, Brock approached Josephine and her celebrating Pokémon. “Congratulations, Josephine. You beat me fair and square. This Boulder Badge belongs to you,” Brock said and handed over the Badge.

Josephine accepted the gray Badge before staring at it in silence. She could feel her throat closing up and a familiar sting behind her eyes. Clearing her throat, she crouched down to pull her Pokémon into her arms. “Thank you so much, Charmander and Budew. You two were amazing,” Josephine said.

“It’s easy to tell that you care very deeply for your Pokémon. It’s the trust and love you have between you that helped you to beat me and will continue to help you on your journey,” Brock said.

“Thank you, Brock. I won’t ever forget this feeling,” Josephine promised.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moi-Moi: I know. I know. “You can’t catch Budew in the Kanto region” and “Budew weren’t introduced until Gen IV”. I probably should have said this sooner, but I’m not following the anime too closely. I’m pretending that Pokémon from later Generations are available in every region. Obviously, catching a Pokémon not native to a region will still be a rare occurrence. I mean… It’s kind of silly that you can’t catch a Sentret in the Kanto region when Johto and Kanto are physically connected. For all intents and purposes, every Pokémon up to Gen V is fair game no matter the region.


End file.
